3.30.2009

The higher of these two numbers below indicates which side of your brain has dominance in your life. Realising your right brain/left brain tendancy will help you interact with and to understand others.

Let's talk about the new NBC series, Kings, shall we. I am ashamed to admit it, but I am about four episodes in (DRV time) and I did not recognize parallel of the show's plot to the Biblical story of David and Goliath. And that is sad as I used to be tested on the bible back in my hay day (heavy religous background...bet you wouldn't guess that about me). But in that...I think lies the true nature and quality of this show.

Point blank, the show is a little bold. It's beautiful and far too well written for primetime television. There is an air of magic to it. The viewer is transported into a modern day monarchy in which the people look and talk just like us but they are ruled by a King. The show's executive producer, Michael Green calls it "soft sci-fi"-which is probably why I like the show (yea, bet you didn't know I was a psuedo-geek either). In short, the main character (David Shepherd) is a soldier who rescues the King's son from enemy territory and allows the path to peace between the two territories. He returns home a hero and his new found celebrity status quiet literally throws a wrench into the royal court. The very nature of royal family and thier rule is outted to the viewer piece by piece as we unravel the mounds corruption, deceit and human frailty. Tie that in with a few misguided governmental decisions and you have a situation all too familiar to use today but at the same time eerily out of touch .

Without a doubt there is an air of magic to this show. There is an aspect of luck and faith and bravery that keeps the left side of your brain guessing. And that's interesting. I will admit, the only reason I even tuned in to the show was because there were billboards for it all over the god damn subways. But now I'm a little addicted. And I care about these imaginary people more than I do about my family. I think LOST has finally met it's match.

I kid about the family thing. But really....

*I feel like I just wrote a press release. Ughhh....what a dirty feeling.

I found this awesome site over at the blog, daily obsessional. Apparently the people over at cpb integrated (???) have created their very own hero maker. I had perhaps too much fun making The Astonishing Funky Barbarian (a name they came up with-that's perfect). Much like the writer of daily obsessional, I wish I could've made a bad guy. And fyi...I am actually that diesel in real life...::clears throat::

3.27.2009

Only in New York could a sad Panda roam the streets for a day, and no one know anything about it. It kinda reeks of one of those Wild Life organizations doing some sort of PR stunt doesn't it? Like..."they are gonna have to live with us if we keep depleting the planet of it's natural resources..."

This week, Throwback Thursday is dedicated to teaching you...you the reader, how to dance. Now, I'm not talking about all those new hippity hop dances that the kids do today to Lil ______ or Lady _____ . I'm gonna take you back in time. Back to a time when you actually needed to ride the beat. Back to a time when it was ok for a man to do a split on the dance floor. Back to a Soul Train time. Pull out your pens and pads...and take some notes.

Side Note: I just want to say...if you did not try to copy at least one of those dozens of moves you just saw, while you were sitting there in your chair.....and/or....say "Heeeeeeeeyyyyyy" (in your head or out loud), then you don't deserve to learn how to dance.

Now go, get down and boogie. I've got a friend in town, so I'm out and this is my last post of the day. Peace and hair grease.

anyways. this article talks about how the USPS is near the end of existence. Well actually they said they're crashing, but crashing always results in the end, right?luckily i stocked up on my forever stamps when they were 39cents. yea luckily

Here is a quote from the article.

delivering mail five days-a-week instead of six would save $3.5 billion per year.

----- well hello you just found your problem and made your employees life much more better. saturdays off!!! yippie skippie!!!

Why is everyone crying to congress. congress got their own problems.stop treating congress like that rich uncle you have and only call them to borrow something, help with something, and only invite them hoping to receive a gift.

why you crying USPS, suck it up and let the people of america get another bill-free day or report card free day. DONT Fuck up our weekends.

thats all.

I also think that the USPS needs to survive because then how else will i be reminded to pay my bills. reminding me by email... no i dont check that. by text...hell naw you aint getting my number. I need a pile of envelopes so when i get tired of looking at them then i will pay them.

It's still 2009 and we here at Pros Thoughts are still continuing our efforts to make this blog as entertaining (and engaging) as possible. So, in yet another vain attempt to add value we decided to add a new guest blogger, "L". "L" is short for Laila. I hope that I didn't just give away her pen name. But if I did, it's ok....because she already jumped right in with her first post.

No worries kids. Just like Rhe K, L for Laila has signed a waiver (cough::contract::cough) to post frequently, post openly and post non-discriminately. A few things about her so that you feel more connected.

1. Laila is in the magazine industry. Think...The Devil Wears Prada.

2. You know the saying "Go Big or Go Home." Well...Laila never goes home. She always goes big. If there's something entertaining happening, Laila is there. And she is probably having a better time than you. Whenever we hang out, we literally compete for who is having a better time.

3. If there is a movie that people refuse to go see with me, which happens alot, Laila will go with me.

4. Laila has the fashion game on lock. What can I say...we recruit for the betterment of the blog.

5. Oh yeah, she also has the best taste in music. Infact, she will probably steal the blog job from me. We will see.

So, there you go. I promised you guest bloggers, and I delivered. On a side note: The best part about this entire thing is.... these "guest bloggers" have no idea that I am using them to bring down my typo/misspellings to post ratio. Mu ha ha ha.

Let's be honest, Heineken and Corona are brews for amateurs. But still...both are always a safe bet. So its nice to see a little back story here in this spot. That guy at the end who catches the flipping bottle...that's skill (like circus skill). Makes me wonder though...what type of back story do you think we would've seen if someone had dropped a roofie in that open unattended bottle?

Apparently there is such thing as the NYC Pillow Fight. It's annual and this year it will happen on Wall Street on Saturday April 4th at 3pm. I personally am not into pillow fights. Someone always gets hurt. Last year the event drew in 2,000 people....supposedly.

3.24.2009

...a 60 foot long laugh. Eighteen year old, Rory McInnes climbed onto the roof of his parent's mansion and painted a 60-foot penis with a bucket of white paint. He was inspired by a television program he watched about Google Earth and it took his parents over a year to discover it.

F-That.if i were acting like a bowling pin for shaq i would not fall down...SORRY and he wouldn't even get a spare!If i were a taking a picture, lebron... it would be of myself, in front of my teammates who thought they were getting their picture taken.

Some songs make me wish I was a dude so that I could run around quoting all day long. Take "Every Girl" for example. No video yet but stay tuned. If you think it's a display of male chauvinism, you're porbably right and you'll just have to get over it.

On a more serious note, the Chicago Tribune examined the fact that African American stock ownership has lagged that of whites; however, in this economic environment that's a good thing! Wait, what?!?!

Finally, proof I'm a giant dork: WEST SIDE STORY! I know the song that corresponds with each photo. High School Musical has nothing, NOTHING on Maria, Anita, Bernardo and Tony!

Well, in the Siena vs. Ohio State Tourney game the other night (I actually saw a part of this game) - and avid Siena fan got his religion snatched away from him. Literally. He was standing there with his sign that read John 3:16. And some MIB security guard dropped from the ceiling an d'boed him ('gimme that'). And the kid...he's left useless and broken.

BTW....John 3:16"For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son,[a] that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life."

There was a part of me that was appalled when I saw this poster on the A train this morning. However, the other part of me is a good fan of the show and knows that it is no more than a fabricated period piece based solely on the premise of deceit, over indulgence and gratuitous sex.

3.21.2009

It was about 2-3 years ago when all the girls I knew posted aim away messages (that should date me) about the news of a "new African American" Disney princess. I am an avid fan of Disney and the entire creative process that fuels it. I also have a heart string attached as my grandmother use to give me a new Disney movie each and every gift giving holiday. As a kid, I even wanted to be a cartoonist. So...I never pulled the race card on Mr Disney. I do recall having one or two jovial middle school conversations at the lunch table about The Lion King being the "black Disney movie." You know- cause it's in Africa. Just like Pocahontas was from a general woodland area and Jasmine and Aladdin were in the Middle East. But it was all a joke. I never really thought about the Princesses. Cause you know....I am a boy.

But apparently this movie is being made. Disney has started production on the animated musical fairy tale called “The Frog Princess,” which will be set in New Orleans and will be the first hand-drawn film Disney has committed to in quiet some time. And from what I have seen, it seems to have all the good characteristics of the oldies. Anika Noni Rose (girl 3 from the movie Dream Girls aka not Beyonce or Jennifer Hudson), will be doing the voice the character of Princess Tiana (or Maddy, depending on the source). I hope it's Tiana, because I can name 3 Tianas that I know personally off the top of my head (and if it were Kiana, it would be like 10). Not only is this Disney's first black princess, but it is Disney's first American princess. Oh yeah...and Oprah is in it-duh. But of course, it doesn't end there for a new black heroin. There is some drama about the race of the prince.

It appears that while the rest of the cast is black, Prince Naveen from Maldonia is not. And it is causing a commotion of sorts. Critics say the the Prince, voiced by a Brazilian actor, is "a cop-out," and "an implication that black love isn't good enough." What do you think my avid readers? Is someone slipping something into the purple drank of these rabid consumers? Or do they have a point? I mean, Princess Tiana already seems t0 have some baby hair she needs to worry about, and now she can't find a good ole southern gentleman who just graduated from Morehouse? Or is Naveen just light-skined-ed? Or maybe he is just Naveen from the Block- use to have a little now he got alot. Or maybe this is a sincere representation of the times. Or of America today...

The work of an American sculptor Daniel Edwards. I have written about this guy before. He has a tendency to do "controversial" pop culture work. This is called "String of Babies', holds a baby bottle upright."

3.19.2009

Meet Neil Berrett. Neil is perhaps the nicest person I have ever met (or havn't met). He just recently gave his 2 week notice on a cake.

"Dear Mr. Bowers,

During the past three years, my tenure at the Hunters Point Naval Shipyard has been nothing short of pure excitement, joy and whim.

However, I have decided to spend more time with my family and attend to health issues that have recently arisen. I am proud to have been part of such an outstanding team and I wish this organization only the finest in future endeavors.

Please accept this cake as notification that I am leaving my position with NWT on March 27.

Sincerely,

W. Neil berrett"

His departure from Hunters Point Naval Shipyard in San Francisco, was not only literally sweet, but his actual message was also as sugary. I just thought that I would hit you with some nice job news.

I would like to introduce to you my avid reader, a new series that will only run on Throwback Thursdays: Cartoon/Smartoon.

It is my personal belief that the cartoons back in the day were not only better written than the crap they show to our youth today, but they were smarter. Anthropomorphized sponges and spikey haired card carrying dragon fighters...these are the "cartoons" that run the airwaves today. When I see my little godson watch TV, I see the tv happening to him (not the other way around). What happened to tales of wonder and laughter? The shows that sponsored creativity? The plots that forced your imagination out of its dormant cave and made you wonder where, how and why...and most of all MAYBE. I miss that.

In this edition, I will be showing you the toons that I loved...but can't seem to find others who can honestly share that love with. When I get into one of my nostalgic, drinking on an empty stomach rants about "how I will raise my seed on old cartoons, and they will be better people," I reference the well known: Thundercats, ScoobyDoo and The Animaniacs. No, animals cannot talk...but damn-it, I learned something when I watched these show. I speakof the semi-memorable ones like the Centurions, The Littl' Bits and Wayne Head. But these are the toughs one (that I liked):

Street Sharks- Besides the completely awesome theme song that makes me want to rock out with my c*ck out, the concept...walking shark men that bite through anything and everything. Come one....you can't, not like that.

Mighty Max-Ummmm, talking fowl as a friend.

The Wild C.A.T.S.- On Cartoon Express, back when USA was cool.

Dinosaucers- I loved this show...point blank.

Samurai Pizza Cats- I mean...this came on at 2pm, right before the rush of Disney cartoons. I don't even try to bring this up to people. Because its just bizarre. And it wasn't until recently that I knew I was not crazy (robot pizza delivering japanese cats....).

The Noozles- For some odd reason, I always bring this show up during my nostalgic banter. Then I explain that it had to do with stuffed Kualas that came to life when their noses were rubbed and then sucked the main character through a worm whole into a magical world.

The Mutant League- Ok, so these mutants play human sport. Except the sport was extra dangerous. So people lost limbs and die all the time. Come on....this is made for the boy's-boy (kid version of man's-man).

The Herculoids & Co.- This was a late night cartoon. It came on at like 2am on Cartoon Network. And I just felt cool and grown up watching it alongside Birdman, Young Samson, The Galaxy Trio.

Oh there are more....I just wanted to wet your whistle a little bit. I don't want to overwhelm you. There will be multiple editions. And many extensions. BE....excited!! BE...BE....excited! This series is going to be....the BOMB.

Straight from the motherland, an ad agency called Voskhod has tapped into the American tapestry of capitalizing of off another's success. At first, I thought they were calling Obama black on the outside and white on the inside, but then I read it "not like a third grade black panther." And they are trying to play off of his mixed background.

The only thing that confuses me, is that Obama is neitherAsian or gay...or covered in nuts.

A billboard to promote the show Trueblood in Auckland, New Zealand. While its kinda clever, the fact that the wooden stakes are nailed to the wall makes this billboard kinda useless (but far more safe). I cant wait till Trueblood comes back.

But hey...it is March, right? Suck it up, shaun. So with that said, Adidas has wrapped their newest ugtastic sneaker within the breast of a great idea. In March, even the Pros ballers want to get in on some college level hoops. Now, I have never made a bracket in my life, but I know all about the mass hysteria that is March Madness. These spots make me miss the midwest. The unfaltering love for your team. The daily multi-media addiction. The packed Chicago bars with $3 beers.

Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays are the worst days of the week. If you think they are long and daunting when you are working a 9 t0 5. Imagine them, when you are not. So if you have a job...do it well. Make your money. And spend that sh*t (don't you dare save it- we are in a recession).

3.16.2009

Pandemonium erupted outside an "America's Next Top Model" casting call in midtown yesterday when an overheating car triggered a stampede of catwalk-craving cuties.Screaming as they ran for their lives, hundreds of hotties in heels toppled over barricades along W. 55th St. after several people in the crowd started yelling, "There's a bomb!"By the time the model madness ended..."

On a side note: I was suppose to be in the middle of that stampede with my girlfriend (for her auditions). I would formally like to thank Delirium and Jameson for hindering my morning activity (aka not getting trampled on). True story.

3.12.2009

Shaun urged me to give the two gents in the video a proper introduction. Jemex (Dave Maldonado) and Dean Gray (Derrius Clark) are an electro soul duo jammin out of their Brooklyn studio.

At once, a quirky new flavor banging, echoing, swirling throughout your body, you'll find your head nodding to each tune. Each new song feels familiar and makes you feel at home. El Domine is an example of their infinite sense of humor but their songs scream talent and dedication to a craft that many try but few succeed in.